Experts are full of valuable knowledge and are ready to help with any question. Credentials confirmed by a Fortune 500 verification firm.

Get a Professional Answer

Via email, text message, or notification as you wait on our site.Ask follow up questions if you need to.

100% Satisfaction Guarantee

Rate the answer you receive.

Ask Jess K Your Own Question

Jess K, Dog Veterinarian

Category: Dog Veterinary

Satisfied Customers: 1311

Experience: Licensed Veterinarian

89827615

Type Your Dog Veterinary Question Here...

Jess K is online now

My dog (10 year old Yorkie) Has been biting s paw alot. He

Customer Question

My dog (10 year old Yorkie) Has been biting his paw alot. He managed to even cut it a bit by biting so much. I have been wrapping it for the past few days. ( this seems to help him a bit as he is not bothering with it) However it is really red and does not seem to be getting better. Is there anything else I should try? I have also been applying poly bacitracin.

Hello there, this is Dr. Jess and I am here to help answer your question about Buster. There are two other things you could try for Buster to see if his paw will improve at home. I would recommend getting an e-collar (this is the lamp-shade like collar or "cone of shame" as it is sometimes known!). You can purchase these at Petsmart and Petco if you don't already have one. I would recommend putting this on him instead of wrapping his paw. The problem with keeping his paw wrapped is that it can sometimes create a moist/damp environment that can help bacteria or yeast grow on the skin. So I would leave the e-collar on him at all times and leave the bandage off. The other thing your can do is to spray the area he is biting with a hydrocortisone spray, such as Cortaid. Sometimes it may sting a little if the skin is raw, but he is likely biting at the area because it itches and the hydrocortisone will help with that. I would use it several times a day. You can continue to use the Bacitracin if you like as well, in case there is a bacterial component. If you have any antibacterial shampoo, you can also use that to wash the foot well each day. If Buster's foot isn't improving after a few days of this treatment or if it gets worse at any point, you should take him to see his regular veterinarian, because it is possible he may need an oral antibiotic or antifungal (available only by prescription) if the topical treatment you are using isn't helping. You may also want to check his toenails to be sure none of them are split or swollen, as this can be a reason why dogs will chew on a paw.

I hope that my response helped to give you some ideas for your dog Buster. If you have any other questions, please let me know. If my response provided the information you needed, please take a few moments to rate our response so that we can know you were satisfied with this service. Good luck with Buster!